SUNY Plattsburgh

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SUNY Plattsburgh, Clinton Community College Make Military-Friendly List

12:49pm EDT, 10 Oct 2013

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (Oct. 10, 2013) — Both Clinton Community College and SUNY Plattsburgh have been named to this year’s “2014 Military Friendly Schools” list.

Compiled by Victory Media, the list honors the 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that do the most to support America’s military service members and ensure their success on campus.

“Inclusion on the 2014 list of Military Friendly Schools shows the two college’s commitment to providing a supportive environment for military students,” said Sean Collins, vice president at Victory Media and a nine-year Navy veteran. “The need for education is growing, and our mission is to provide the military community with transparent, world-class resources to assist in their search for schools.”

According to SUNY Plattsburgh President John Ettling, both campuses have made a concerted effort to assist veterans and students who are in the military.

“We understand the difficulties that men and women in uniform can face when it comes to earning their degrees, and we want to do what we can to help,” Ettling said.

Clinton Community College President John E. Jablonski agreed.

“Everyone benefits when we help those who have served our country,” Jablonski said. “That’s why Clinton and SUNY Plattsburgh have hired Tracy Guynup to help our veterans make the transition to college.”

Guynup recently signed on as the veteran’s support coordinator at SUNY Plattsburgh and has now served for three years as the veteran’s affairs coordinator and assistant registrar for Clinton. In those roles, he helps students navigate through unusual situations that may arise, like being called to active duty.

“Some folks are called up at a moment’s notice, and they may not even have time to call their family or professors. I can alleviate some stress by tying up some loose ends for them,” Guynup said.

Guynup doesn’t just help service personnel; he assists their family members as well.

“These individuals often move right along with the veteran or active duty personnel,” he said. “Some of them also get the G.I. Bill and have plenty of questions about financial processes and acclimating to become a college student and live the civilian life as well.”